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How Heart Disease Affects Men And Women Essay

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Heart disease is the leading cause of fatality accounting for every one in four deaths in the United States (CDC, 2015). Even though cardiovascular disease affects men and women, it is more likely for women to pass away within the first year after a heart attack (The Gender, 2015). There are several different explanations proposed as to why this gender gap exists. A person’s genetic traits and habits can increase their risk for heart disease. In order to understand the risk factors for women, we must first understand what heart disease is. Then we can examine the risk factors of heart disease, the causes, and finally prevention and treatment. The first step in the prevention process is understanding the disease itself. Coronary artery disease and coronary heart disease are terms usually used interchangeably. In actuality, coronary artery disease causes coronary heart disease, or CHD. Heart attacks are then the result of CHD. Coronary arteries originate in the aorta and function to supply oxygenated blood to the muscular tissue of the heart. Plaque can build up and block these arteries over several years, reducing the flow of oxygenated blood to the heart. Eventually, the plaque can harden or even rupture, which increases the risk of a blood clot formation because platelets are attracted to the site. If a blood clot forms, the coronary arteries can become completely blocked. Heart attacks result when oxygenated blood does not reach a section of the heart, and the section

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